


Your Biggest Fan

by mewgirl1995



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 08:42:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9227180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mewgirl1995/pseuds/mewgirl1995
Summary: “Yuuri!” He yelled, waving frantically. “Do your best!” Startled, Yuuri turned to look towards Viktor, who grinned widely. “Don’t disappoint your biggest fan!” Yuuri’s face flushed a bright red and Yuri groaned. Viktor continued to leap up and down, feeling his own face growing red. “You can do it Yuuri!”By chance, Viktor caught sight of one of Yuuri's competitions and quickly fell head over heels in love with the Japanese figure skater.





	

It would have taken a simple press of a button on the remote to change the course of Viktor’s life. The three-time consecutive World Championship and Grand Prix Final champion wandered into the break room at his team’s rink. Two of his rink mates, Mila Babicheva and Yuri Plisetsky, were watching Skate America, teasing each other back and forth.

“Wait until I make my senior debut!” Yuri said, shaking his head. “I’ll crush all of these losers!”

“Sure, sure,” Mila said with a small shrug. “Maybe you should work on your modesty, Yuratchka.”

In response, Yuri kicked Mila’s chair, nearly knocking her over. “I’m bored of this, let’s watch something else.” He reached for the remote, but Mila snatched it away. “Give it here!”

As the pair laughed and chased each other around the room, Viktor smiled and turned his gaze to the television. The last skater’s scores were announced and then all cameras turned to the next skater in line. “Yuri Katsuki, age 22, from Hasetsu, Japan takes to the ice.” Intrigued, Viktor walked over to the table closest to the TV. A timid looking young man skated out onto the ice, glancing around at the crowd. “This is Katsuki’s second time participating in the Grand Prix series. He nearly made it into the final last year after winning at Skate Canada, so we have high hopes for him this season! He is skating to Fur Elise by Beethoven.” The young Japanese skater slowly stretched out his arms and waited for the beginning of the music. As the soft piano notes began to play, Katsuki pushed off and slid across the ice. His movements were smooth and subtle, dancing across the ice with beautiful step sequences. He launched into a butterfly spin, followed by a triple lutz and double toe combination.

Viktor leaned forward, eyes widening as he watched Katsuki dance across the ice. His heart fluttered with each spin. He had never seen anyone skate the way Katsuki did. The man moved like the music had taken full control of his limbs. His spins and step sequences were dazzling, although his jumps could use some work. As the music’s tempo increased, Katsuki launched himself into a quadruple Salchow and promptly fell. Viktor winced, but was impressed as Katsuki quickly spun up to his feet and continued with his routine. A wide grin crossed his face.

“You’re watching pretty intensely huh Viktor?” Mila asked as she dangled the remote above Yuri, who struggled to snatch it away.

“He’s very good,” Viktor said. Realizing he had been leaning forward in his chair, Viktor sat up more straight as he spoke to Mila, “His jumps are sloppy, but do you see the way he moves? It’s perfect! He moves like-like-” Viktor broke off, unsure how to pin down the pounding feeling in his chest. Mila stared back at him with a confused expression. Viktor leapt to his feet and whirled towards the fourth person in the break room. “Yakov!”

The old coach sighed and slapped his book shut. “What Vitya?” He had been trying his hardest to avoid the chaos his students had gotten themselves into.

“Am I competing against Katsuki in the series?” Viktor asked, eyes alight with excitement. “I want to meet him. I could give him advice on his jumps and perhaps-”

“You’re so damn forgetful,” Yuri said, rolling his eyes. “You don’t even remember who you’re competing against?” Yuri glanced to the television. “And the only one you care about is some second-rate skater from Japan? Get your priorities straight Viktor.”

“Katsuki is skating in Skate America and the Cup of China,” Yakov said with a sigh. “Not the Rostelecom Cup or NHK Trophy tournaments.” Grumbling something else under his breath, Yakov rose to his feet. “Come on now, let’s get back to practice.” Viktor shot one last, longing glance back at the television before following Yakov out of the break room.

 

 

 

 

Yuuri Katsuki received 4th place at Skate America. In the break between Skate America and the Cup of China, Viktor watched all the other competitors with increased interest. It would be possible for Katsuki to still make it into the Grand Prix Final, but Viktor found it highly unlikely. He calculated the highest technical and performance scores for Katsuki’s programs over and over again. Each time, he found that they would likely fall short of Jean-Jaques Leroy and Chris Giacometti’s programs at the Cup of China. That would place Katsuki in 3rd, right out of reach of the Grand Prix Final. Viktor sighed and tossed aside his pad of paper. Yuri glanced across the table with a scowl.

“What the hell is this?” Yuri asked. “You’re calculating scores?”

“I was curious if Katsuki would make it to the final, but alas it seems like it’s not even possible,” Viktor said with a dramatic sigh. He leaned one hand on his chin. “I really wanted to see him skate in person. It would probably help you too!”

Yuri snorted and shook his head. “How so?”

“His step sequences are wonderful!” Viktor said, perking up again. “While yours are good, they lack the character that Katsuki has.” Yuri seemed to consider Viktor’s words for a few moments before rising to his feet and stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“Maybe,” Yuri said with a non-committal shrug. “But that second-rate skater hasn’t even made it to the Grand Prix Finals.” Viktor pouted and crossed his arms over his chest and stared ahead with an annoyed look. He wondered idly why Katsuki hadn’t gotten more attention. He was clearly a skilled skater. All he needed to do was improve his jumps.

Yakov refused to let Viktor come along with him and Georgi to the Cup of China. “Stay here and work on your programs!” Yakov yelled as he got into the taxi. “Listen to me! Got it Vitya? You can’t get complacent now!”

As the taxi drove away, Viktor scowled. His scowl turned into a smaller pout as he turned to go back to the rink to practice. He had practiced plenty of times. Since he was young, figure skating came naturally to him. He had no need to think about his routines. His mind went blank and he just skated. Though he could feel his inspiration slipping away more and more each day. Winning gold medal after gold medal had become boring. Viktor failed to surprise people. Everyone knew he would win gold again. There must be more to life than figure skating and Viktor had begun to worry he was missing out on it.

 

 

 

 

Katsuki got 4th at the Cup of China. He wouldn’t be going to the Grand Prix finals, which disappointed Viktor greatly. He had been itching to see the Japanese skater in person. Late at night when he couldn’t sleep, he found himself watching Katsuki’s routines over and over. He even found one of Katsuki’s rinkmates on Instagram and scrolled through the pictures, grinning widely at the cute pictures of the pair of them. It didn’t take long before Viktor scrolled through almost the entire feed. One particular picture caught Viktor’s attention. It was taken at Skate Canada from the year before. Yuri Katsuki posed with one arm outward and the other on his heart. His eyes focused on something far above him.

“Yuuri’s amazing free skate! #ChampionSkateCanada!” The caption read.

Viktor grinned. The light from his phone glowed throughout his room as he stared at the picture for a long time before saving it. He set his phone on the bedside table and stared across his room. Makkachin nuzzled his nose against Viktor’s neck and barked quietly. Viktor stared at an empty space on his wall as his heart pounded.

“Vitya, get off your damn phone!” Yakov yelled as Viktor absentmindedly skated across the rink, scrolling through the pages of an online store which sold posters of figure skaters. There were plenty of him and some other skaters, but Yuri Katsuki was apparently not popular enough for a poster print. Viktor frowned and went to search another store. “You’re going to be the death of me!”

“What Yakov?” Viktor asked, raising his eyes from his phone with an annoyed look.

“The Grand Prix Final is in a week! Practice your damn routine!”

With a sigh, Viktor skated over to the wall of the rink and tucked his phone away into his jacket pocket. There would be plenty of time to browse online stores later. As he skated back to the center of the rink to prepare for his routine, he saw Yuri and Mila chatting about something. Yuri shook his head and snapped something, while Mila giggled and jabbed him in the sides. Viktor raised an eyebrow and when the pair saw him looking, they scattered. Ignoring his rink mate’s suspicious behavior, Viktor folded his arms into his starting position and waited for Yakov to play the music for his short program.

 

 

 

 

Viktor won gold at the Quebec City Grand Prix Final. He subsequently went on to win gold at the World Championships again. Adding the two gold medals to his collection was nice, though he was most excited to have more time to spend with Makkachin. The poodle yipped happily as Viktor rubbed his stomach and scratched behind his ears. “I brought a new addition for the house Makkachin!” Viktor announced to the poodle. He pulled a rolled up cardboard tube from his bag. “It just came in the mail today!” Viktor unfurled the poster and hung it up near his closet. Failing to find any official posters of Yuuri Katsuki, Viktor ordered a print using the picture of the Japanese skater at Skate Canada. As he stepped back to admire the poster, Viktor suddenly realized how strange it was. He chuckled, feeling his face heat up a tiny bit. “I suppose I’m a fan of Yuuri’s now,” He said softly. “But, why wouldn’t I be? He skates so beautifully.”

During the following season, Viktor tracked Yuuri’s scores closely. He watched each competition on the television, since once again he was not assigned to any of the same preliminary competitions. “What are the odds?” Viktor whined as he saw the assignments. Yuri rolled his eyes. “And Yakov won’t even let me go watch the Rostelecom Cup!”

“Viktor, you’re obsessed,” Yuri said with a scowl.

With a smile, Viktor shook his head. “Perhaps the rest of you are just failing to recognize talent.”

When Viktor arrived home that night, he stared at the poster of Yuuri up on the wall. He realized Yuri was right. His heart fluttered as he read or watched anything involving Yuuri. He so desperately wanted to meet him. It wouldn’t be long. After watching Yuuri’s routines for the upcoming season, Viktor had no doubts that he would make it into the Grand Prix Final. Viktor would finally get the chance to meet him. He idly wondered what he would say, before deciding not to dwell on it.

 

 

 

 

Yuuri Katsuki won 2nd at Rostelecom Cup, which put him in the perfect position for the Grand Prix Final. Yakov made Viktor practice during the Cup of China, though he kept his phone close by and watched the clock. As soon as it was about time for Yuuri to skate, Viktor barreled across the ice nearly running into Georgi and Mila. “Woah Viktor!” Mila said as he shot by. “What’s up with you?”

“I need a quick break,” He said, snatching up his phone and leaning against the wall. As he pulled up the livestream, Viktor’s heart pounded. The previous day, Yuuri scored well on his short program and placed in third. He needed to get fourth or higher to continue on to the Grand Prix Final. Yuuri skated onto the ice, waving meekly at the crowds. He wore a beautiful blue and black outfit for his free skate that season. As the music began, Viktor drew in a sharp breath. As usual, Yuuri’s movements flowed right along with the music. He sent himself into beautiful spins and landed each one of his combination jumps. This season, Yuuri removed the quadruple Salchow from his jumps and focused on the quadruple toe loop, the one quad he could perform.  

Mila skated over to Viktor and leaned over his shoulder, watching the performance with a curious look. “This is that Japanese skater? The Japanese Yuuri?”

“Doesn’t he skate beautifully?” Viktor said with a huge smile. “I love watching him.” Mila sent Viktor an amused look but didn’t say anything.

Yuuri finished his free skate and smiled, waving at the camera and collecting a small stuffed poodle someone threw onto the ice for him. As he made his way to the kiss and cry, Viktor grasped his phone a bit tighter. “The score for Yuuri Katsuki is 175.25, bringing his total to 259.46. Yuuri Katsuki is now in second, which guarantees his spot in the Grand Prix Finals!” Delighted, Viktor stood up much straighter, clutching his phone to his chest.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” He said, spinning around on the ice. “Oh, I can’t wait to meet him and see him perform in person!”

“Wow, you’re smitten,” Mila said, raising one eyebrow.

Viktor ignored her comment. “Did you see his step sequences? His spins? Oh, he skates so wonderfully,” Viktor sighed. Then, a thought struck him. “He skates like his body is creating music! That’s why it’s so charming!”

“Get back to work you slackers!” Yakov yelled from across the rink. “Do you hear me Viktor? Stop watching that damn Japanese Yuuri!”

“Yakov! He made it to the Grand Prix Finals!”

Yakov shook his head and muttered something under his breath before turning his attention back to Yuri. “Work on those step sequences some more! They’re still sloppy.” Yuri groaned and took another lap around the rink.

 

 

 

 

The Grand Prix Final was held in Sochi that year. Unfortunately, due to the hustle and bustle of the tournament, Viktor failed to speak with Yuuri before the young skater headed out onto the ice for his short program. “I can’t wait!” Viktor said bouncing up and down beside Yuri. The fifteen-year old rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. Like Viktor, he wasn’t skating until much later so he had time to watch other performances.

When Yuuri took to the ice, Viktor could tell he was shaking. The music for his short program started and Yuuri hesitated, missing his music’s cue. His movements were more jerky than usual and he failed to land many of his jumps. Viktor’s heart fell. It wasn’t the first time that a skater buckled under the pressure of the Grand Prix Final. Even experienced skaters could fall prey to nerves and self-destruct on the ice. It was a horrible fate that Viktor wished never happened to any skater. He watched with bated breath as the scores came in. Yuuri barely managed to score about a seventy on his short program. His coach leaned over to comfort Yuuri in the kiss and cry, but Yuuri shook his head and moved away, forcing a smile. He said something to his coach, before standing and hurrying away without taking off his skates. Viktor watched him disappear into the long, dark hallways that connected the rink to the rest of the stadium.

“Looks like he isn’t what you thought he was,” Yuri said with a scowl. “How pathetic. Even I thought he would do better than that.”

Viktor felt himself move before he even considered chasing after Yuuri. As he hurried away, Yakor whirled around towards him. “Vitya where are you going?”

“I’ll be back soon!” Viktor said, tossing a carefree smile over his shoulder. As soon as he entered the long hallway, the smile vanished. Ice skater’s hearts were notoriously fragile. Yuuri must have been devastated after doing so badly in his short program. Viktor hurried down the hallways, awkwardly scooching past reporters and fellow skaters. He searched everywhere for Yuuri as the time slipped away. With every passing moment, Viktor risked being late for his own program.

When Viktor found an empty hallway devoid of reporters and competitors, he heard quiet sobs coming from the end of the hall. Yuuri Katsuki sat on a bench, face buried in his hands as he cried. His skates lay against the wall, ripped from his feet and thrown away. Viktor froze, unsure of what to do. For months his imagination had run wild and presented him with scenario upon scenario of how their first meeting would occur. Viktor never imagined he would have to comfort a sobbing Yuuri. He took a few hesitant steps forward and the sound of his skates echoed in the empty hallway. Yuuri’s head whipped up and his eyes widened in shock when he saw Viktor.

“Vi-Viktor!” Yuuri exclaimed, hurrying to wipe away his tears with his sleeve. “Uh, um, I was just-” Yuuri broke off, sniffling again. His arm fell slowly back into his lap. “I must look pathetic,” He said softly.

“It’s not like you don’t have a reason to cry,” Viktor blurted out, waving his hand. “Your short program was a disaster.” Yuuri’s eyes widened in shock and tears began to form at the corners of his eyes again. Cursing himself, Viktor shook his head. “Well, that doesn’t mean you can’t recover from it!” Viktor took an uncertain step forward. “You made it to the Grand Prix Finals after all!” His extended his hand a bit, wanting desperately to comfort Yuuri. “Maybe you won’t medal, but you don’t have to finish in last.”

Yuuri stared back at Viktor like a deer in the headlights. “I failed every jump. I got one of the lowest scores in Grand Prix history!”

“Well, yes. That’s why you couldn’t medal.” Viktor smiled. “Though, you might be able to make fourth.” Viktor’s phone began to buzz in his pocket. Overhead, he heard the crowd cheering for whichever skater just finished.

“You should go,” Yuuri said, turning away. His face was unreadable. “You’ll be late.” His voice fell flat.

The buzzing continued, matching the pounding of Viktor’s heart. He didn’t want to watch Yuuri crash and burn again, but he had no idea what he could possibly say to comfort him. He rarely did poorly. Viktor could count the number of times he fell in competition on one hand. Reaching out, Viktor grabbed Yuuri’s shoulder and pulled him into a hug. The younger skater yelped in surprise. “Don’t give up. You skate like your body is creating music and I really want to see you skate like that again.” Yuuri took in a sharp breath and his body relaxed a bit. When Viktor’s phone began to buzz again, he let go of Yuuri and turned to rush away. “I’ll be cheering for you!” Yuuri stared back with a dumbstruck view and did not reply. 

“Where have you been?” Yakov screamed when Viktor hurried over to him. He slipped off his coat, breathless. “You almost missed your starting time!”

“Don’t worry Yakov,” Viktor said, kissing his coach’s cheek. Yakov grumbled something under his breath as Viktor slipped off his blade guards and hurried onto the ice.

“Here he is! Four time Grand Prix Champion, Viktor Nikiforov!”

To Viktor’s frustration, Yuuri disappeared after the short program competition finished. He most likely went back to his hotel room to rest and prepare for the free skate the following day. Meanwhile, Viktor lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. Yuuri’s devastated look haunted him. He was so terrible at comforting people and doubted his words did much to help calm Yuuri. He probably overwhelmed him. With a sigh, Viktor rolled over, hugging his pillow to his chest. All he wanted was to see Yuuri smile for him. He never wanted to see that dejected look on his beloved figure skater’s face again.

 

 

 

 

After Viktor rushed away from him Yuuri sat frozen in shock. He heard the cheers coming from the rink, indicating Viktor had started his short program. Viktor Nikiforov, Yuuri’s idol since he was eleven, had just risked being late for the Grand Prix Final in order to comfort Yuuri. He searched throughout the whole stadium to find him and tell him to do his best. Viktor knew his name. He seemed to have been watching him closely, based on what he said.

“You skate like your body is creating music,” Viktor’s voice rang in Yuuri’s ears.

His whole heart swelled at the thought that Viktor had been watching his skating. It gave him his strength back. Taking in a deep breath, Yuuri stood and walked over to his skates. He picked them up and hurried to the locker rooms to obtain his tennis shoes. By the time he had changed and rushed upstairs, Viktor was nearly done with his program.

“Yuuri!” Celestino called. “There you are! I was worried about where you’d run off to.”

“Sorry coach,” Yuuri said, hanging his head in shame.

“Come on,” Celestino said, placing a warm hand on Yuuri’s shoulder. “Let’s head back to the hotel so you can get some rest.”

Yuuri nodded. He wanted to sleep well before the free skate. After all, he barely slept the night before. Vicchan, Yuuri’s precious dog, had passed away right before the beginning of the Grand Prix Final. That, along with his nerves, ruined any chances of him doing well in the short program. Though Yuuri began to feel better after Viktor approached him. He thought his idol would never even spare a second glance at him, let alone watch him enough to compliment him on his skating. Yuuri nodded, determined to perform well the following day. “I can do this,” Yuuri said. He would finish the Grand Prix Final strong in memory of Vicchan and for Viktor.

Due to his sixth place ranking, Yuuri skated first again. The young Japanese skater looked petrified as he made his way to the ice. During warmups he flubbed all of his jumps again. Unsure of what to say, Viktor watched him from far away. As Yuuri skated out to the center of the rink, Viktor knew he had to do something. “Yuuri!” He yelled, waving frantically. “Do your best!” Startled, Yuuri turned to look towards Viktor, who grinned widely. “Don’t disappoint your biggest fan!” Yuuri’s face flushed a bright red and Yuri groaned. Viktor continued to leap up and down, feeling his own face growing red. “You can do it Yuuri!”

The music began to play and Yuuri took off across the ice. The same grace and beauty from the Cup of China was back. Viktor couldn’t help but cheer loudly, making a fool of himself. Yuuri launched into a flying sit spin and as he came out of it, performed a perfect quadruple toe loop. “This time around Yuuri is giving a top-notch performance compared to his short program,” The announcer said. “We may see a huge comeback from him!” As the program came to the end, Yuuri had successfully landed all of his jumps and flew through his spins and step sequences. He came to his final pose with his eyes closed and chest heaving. Viktor looked towards the closest entrance to the rink, which Yuuri was heading to. He took a step towards the entrance when Yuri tugged on his sleeve.

“Focus on yourself will you?” Yuri said, an annoyed tone creeping into his voice.

Yuuri entered the kiss and cry with his coach Celestino and both looked to the screens for the scores. “189.65!” The judges announced. “His total score is 260.05 and he is now in first place!”

“Not for long,” Yuri muttered under his breath, but Viktor was ecstatic.

“What a recovery!” He exclaimed. “It takes a special figure skater to make a comeback like that! He definitely won’t finish last. The others are probably intimidated.”

“Ugh,” Yuri said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Michele Crispino skated next and he scored narrowly below Yuuri with a 258.67. Viktor breathed a sigh of relief as he realized Yuuri wouldn’t finish in last. That would be a terrible end to his first Grand Prix Final. Though as more skaters finished their routines, it became painfully obvious that Yuuri would end up in 5th.  No one really expected Yuuri to race up the ranks with such a terrible short program score. As Viktor glided out onto the ice, he looked upward and spotted Yuuri sitting with his coach in the stands. Yuuri’s eyes grew wide as they made eye contact. Viktor smiled at him.

 _Will you watch me Yuuri?_ Viktor wondered as he lowered his head to stare down at the ice. “Stay Close to Me” began to play and Viktor raised his eyes upward. _I want to skate for you, alright? I’m so happy to have met you._ Everything about Viktor’s performance was flawless as usual. He moved through the routine effortlessly, pouring himself into the routine. As usual his mind went blank and he just skated, but as he caught sight of Yuuri watching, Viktor’s heart fluttered. Cheers filled the stadium as Viktor finished his free skate. He searched the faces for Yuuri’s again. The other skater had leapt to his feet and was cheering enthusiastically. Viktor felt warmth spread through his whole body as he made his way to the kiss and cry. Once again Viktor had won the Grand Prix Finals, though his heart felt much lighter and happier. He turned to look at Yuuri. The younger skater stared back with a huge grin.

Between the interviews and photographs, Viktor didn’t get another chance to see Yuuri until the banquet later that evening. As usual the event was stuffy and formal. Fellow competitors and coaches walked up to Viktor to congratulate him, but he only had his eyes on one person. In the meantime, he drank glass after glass of champagne and let his eyes search the room. Finally, he found him. Skittish, Yuuri paced along the outside walls of the banquet hall. He drank a single glass of champagne as he stood in the corner. “Excuse me,” Viktor said, pulling away from a boring conversation between Yakov and a few other coaches. Yakov narrowed his eyes at him, but did not say anything as Viktor hurried across the hall to speak with Yuuri.

“Vi-Viktor,” Yuuri said in surprise. His face was already flushed red from the alcohol. “Hi again. Um, I-”

“You skated wonderfully in your free skate Yuuri!” Viktor interrupted. Yuuri stared back at him with wide eyes. “I’m so glad I got to see it in person.” He extended his hand. “Come dance with me?”

“I-I-I-” Yuuri stuttered, eyes flicking from Viktor’s outstretched hand to his face. After gulping and setting aside his champagne, Yuuri nodded. “Sure,” He squeaked and reached out his hand. Viktor grabbed it and dragged him to the small dancefloor. Placing a hand around his waist and intertwining their fingers together, Viktor began to lead Yuuri into a slow waltz.

“Yuuri,” Viktor said softly, stretching out the syllables of his name. The way Yuuri’s eyes shot up as a small smile crossed his face made Viktor’s heart flutter. “Relax. You looked so worried over there.”

“Well, I’ve never really been to something like this,” Yuuri said hesitantly. Viktor nodded knowingly. “So I don’t know too many other skaters. I suppose I know you now.” Again, a shy smile graced Yuuri’s face.

“I’m so grateful for that!” Viktor exclaimed, suddenly spinning Yuuri. He dipped him right after, marveling at the star struck look in Yuuri’s eyes. “I saw your routine to 'Fur Elise' and simply adored it. I’ve watched you ever since!”

“You’ve been watching me?!” Yuuri stumbled as Viktor pulled him back up. His face had begun to turn an even deeper shade of red.

“Of course,” Viktor said, nodding. “Like I said before, I’m your biggest fan!”

Yuuri choked out a noise that sounded like a mixture between a wordless shriek and “Really?” Viktor nodded and pulled Yuuri a bit closer. Surprised, Yuuri tightened his grip on Viktor’s hand. “I’m-I’m a big fan of yours too Viktor.”

“Do you have posters of me?” The question was innocent enough, but Yuuri reacted as if Viktor had asked him to reveal his deepest, darkest secrets. With wide eyes, Yuuri fumbled over his words, searching for the right answer. Viktor chuckled. Seeing Yuuri flustered amused him. “I have one of you.” Viktor released Yuuri’s hand and curled it around his waist, pulling him even closer. “In my bedroom.”

To Viktor’s shock, Yuuri shoved him away and backpedaled away from the dance floor. “I-I need some water!” Yuuri rushed to the refreshment table, leaving Viktor standing alone and confused in the middle of the dancefloor. Viktor pouted and followed after him, refusing to accept rejection so easily.

Viktor picked up a glass of champagne and sipped it, watching as Yuuri chugged down several glasses of water. “Where did you even get a poster of me?” Yuuri finally asked as he glanced over to Viktor with a timid look.

“I printed one using a picture from your rinkmate’s Instagram.”

Yuuri squeaked again and whirled around, hands covering his face in embarrassment. “What picture?”

“The one from Skate Canada.” Stepping lightly, Viktor walked around Yuuri so that he could face him once more. Yuuri peeked up at him from between spread fingers. “You look beautiful in it.”

“Oh,” Yuuri said, lowering his hands a bit.

The buzz of champagne was starting to cloud Viktor’s judgement as he reached out to touch Yuuri’s cheek. “Come dance with me again Yuuri?” Nodding, Yuuri let Viktor take his hand and lead him back to the dance floor. He wrapped his arms around Viktor’s neck, letting Viktor pull him close like before. “I’ve dreamed of this.”

“What?” Yuuri asked and Viktor shook his head.

“Will I see you again at the World Championships?” Viktor asked quietly. Yuuri shrugged.

“I don’t think I’ll qualify,” Yuuri said.

“But you’ll try your best won’t you?” Viktor leaned his head against Yuuri’s and sighed deeply. “For me?” He felt Yuuri nod vigorously and tighten his grip around Viktor’s neck. Swaying to the quiet, plain music, Viktor began to speak again, “I love to watch you skate Yuuri. I want to watch it forever!”

“Are-Are you drunk?”

Viktor laughed in response. “Maybe, but it would be very improper to get drunk at a Grand Prix Final banquet.” Both men laughed and Viktor pulled away slightly to get a glimpse of Yuuri’s smiling face.  

The banquet ended too soon. Leaning on an annoyed Yuri for support, Viktor waved goodbye to Yuuri, who hesitantly waved back. A small smile graced his face. Right as he disappeared through the door Yuri asked, “Did you get his number idiot?” Viktor’s face fell. He did not.

 

 

 

 

“You have to tell me everything!” Phichit shrieked, grasping Yuuri’s hands tight in his own. He had barely set his suitcase down in his dorm room, when Phichit raced over to him and began demanding to know everything about the Grand Prix Finals. “Viktor Nikiforov was cheering for you! He was leaping up and down, screaming for you! I’ve never seen him so excited for anyone.” Phichit then whipped out his phone before Yuuri could say anything. “Due to this, I then began to investigate and found that Viktor has been following me on Instagram!” Yuuri wasn’t surprised Phichit failed to notice. He had almost ten thousand followers. “And he’s favorited every single photo I’ve ever taken of you!”

“Oh really?” Yuuri asked, face flushing red from embarrassment.

Phichit nodded. “Every single one Yuuri!”

Twirling his thumbs over one another, Yuuri turned his eyes to the ground. He thought about the dance him and Viktor shared at the Grand Prix Finals banquet. Viktor had been flirtatious. He even admitted to being a fan of Yuuri’s. “He said he has a poster of me in his room,” Yuuri said softly.

“Well, you have dozens of him,” Phichit said with a teasing tone. “Even so, this is an amazing discovery!”

“I don’t get what he sees in me,” Yuuri said, lowering himself into the chair at his desk. “I almost self-destructed at the Grand Prix Finals and I’ve only ever won a large competition once!” Phichit shrugged, he was busy typing away on his phone. “What are you doing?”

“Chris Giacometti was at the banquet, so I’m seeing if he has any more juicy details you aren’t telling me.”

“Nothing happened at the banquet!” As Yuuri spoke, his face began to turn a dark red. “I-I mean nothing important at least.” Phichit stared at Yuuri with narrowed eyes. “I danced with Viktor and he called me beautiful,” Yuuri mumbled under his breath.

“Oh my god.”

Yuuri’s smile widened. “It was really nice.”

Before Yuuri could say anything else, Phichit grabbed his shoulders. “You have to win the Japanese Nationals and get into the World Championships! This love story rivals the one told in ‘The King and the Skater’ !” Yuuri squeaked and shook his head, but Phichit was too busy gushing about his future plans, “Then you two will become a power couple, winning gold everywhere.” A sly look crossed Phichit’s face. “Until I swoop in and steal the gold from both of you!”

The Japanese Nationals were only a few weeks away. Yuuri knew that he would have to work extremely hard to win. For starters, he would have to put more quads into his programs and doing a quad toe loop over and over again wouldn’t cut it. He stared over at the posters of Viktor on his wall and idly wondered how long it would take him to land a quadruple flip. Frowning, Yuuri shook his head. He should just stick to toe loops and Salchows until the World Championships came around. Then, he would see Viktor again. His heart warmed at the thought. Viktor’s smile was permanently burned into his mind. During the Grand Prix Finals, Viktor smiled just for him and Yuuri would never forget it.

"I need to work with Celestino on my quads,” Yuuri declared.

“Let’s give him a day to get over his jet lag and we’ll get working tomorrow!” Phichit declared. “You’ll be a champion Yuuri!”

           

 

 

 

Unfortunately, The Japanese Nationals and Russian Nationals took place on the same day, although at different times. Viktor struggled to find time to watch Yuuri’s short program, though one thing he noticed right away was the inclusion of many more quads. He watched in awe as Yuuri launched into jump after jump before twirling into powerful spins and step sequences. He had more stamina than any other figure skater Viktor had seen. Due to the time difference, the Japanese Nationals took place first and the results were known way before Viktor finished his own competition. He sat in the stands, eagerly watching Yuuri’s free skate. It was flawless. Yuuri danced across the ice with little effort. He was currently in first. As he finished his skate, Viktor’s face lit up in delight when his scores were announced. Yuuri won the Japanese Nationals. Viktor watched the ceremony with a huge smile plastered on his face. As the gold medal was placed around his neck, Yuuri looked to the camera with a tiny grin that made Viktor’s heart flutter.

“Are you excited for the World Championships?” One reporter asked during the press conference.

“Yes, I-I am very excited,” Yuuri stuttered back. He held his medal tight, glancing down every once and while as if to check that it was still there.

“This will be your second time skating against Viktor Nikiforov, the four time World Champion? Does this make you nervous?” Another reporter asked.

A small blush spread across Yuuri’s face. “I look forward to seeing him again.” Viktor’s smile must have been huge since Yuri sent him a disgusted look.

“He cheered for you during the Grand Prix Finals, that must have been a surprise right?”

Yuuri nodded a bit, continuing to fiddle with his medal. “A little, but Viktor is a wonderful person and I really appreciated the support.”

“Vitya! Get off your damn phone, you skate soon!” Yakov yelled from near the bottom of the seats.

With a sigh Viktor closed the livestream. _I’ll be seeing you again soon Yuuri._ Viktor sighed and kissed his phone before tucking it away in his pocket. Viktor would get to skate against Yuuri again in his home country. Humming to himself, Viktor wondered if Yuuri would give him his own private tour of Japan.

 

 

 

 

It seemed like decades had passed by the time Viktor arrived to the World Championships. He hurried into the hotel lobby, eyes searching for Yuuri. It was unlikely that the Japanese skater would arrive at the same time as him, but he was hopeful regardless. “Viktor!” Instead of Yuuri, Viktor spotted another familiar face. Chris Giacometti waved to him with a grin. “Ready to win silver?”

“What a bold statement,” Viktor said, raising an eyebrow. “Aren’t you the one who excels at winning silver?”

Chris chuckled and pulled Viktor into a hug. “Not this time, but let’s have some fun before I crush you.” Slinging his arm around Viktor’s shoulders, Chris continued, “You haven’t told me anything about this Katsuki that you’ve become so enamored with.”

“He is an amazing skater as I’m sure you saw,” Viktor said simply.

Chris rolled his eyes. “At the Grand Prix Final banquet you spent as much time as you could clinging to him! Your eyes were filled with love as you danced with him! I’ve never seen you like that Viktor.” Together the pair of skaters walked towards the elevator, heading up to their rooms.

“I’ve never felt like that before,” Viktor admitted. “Well, I should say I’ve never felt like this before.” Chris did not say anything, but smiled to urge Viktor on. “Ever since I first saw him skating, I felt overwhelmed with emotion. Then when I finally met him, it was just amazing.”

“Sounds like you’re in love,” Chris said right as the elevator doors opened, placing the pair face to face with Yuuri. “Speak of the devil.”

“Viktor!” Yuuri’s face lit up.

“Yuuri!” Rushing out of the elevator, Viktor tackled Yuuri, hugging him tight. “Oh I’ve missed you!” Yuuri hesitantly raised his arms to hug Viktor back. His face had begun to redden.

“I missed you too,” He said quietly. “I’m glad I get to see you again before the season’s over.” Viktor nodded. Then, before he forgot he snatched Yuuri’s phone out of his pocket. “What are you doing?”

“Putting my number in your phone,” Viktor said, grinning at Yuuri. “Before I forget again.” He handed his phone back to Yuuri, who took it hesitantly.

Before either Yuuri or Viktor said anything else, Chris coughed and stepped forward out of the elevator. “Forgetting about someone Viktor?” He asked, rolling his eyes.

“Oh yes, of course!” Looping one arm around Yuuri’s, Viktor gestured to Chris. “Have you met Chris, Yuuri? He got second in the Grand Prix Finals, he’s very good at getting second.” Viktor’s tone became teasing at the end.

“You’re friends with Phichit,” Yuuri said nervously. “Though we’ve never really met officially.”

“Pleasure then,” Chris said, taking Yuuri’s free hand and gently kissing it. Immediately, Viktor’s grip around Yuuri’s arm tightened and he narrowed his eyes at Chris. “Well, I’ll leave you two alone. I have to go unpack.” He laughed and walked away, typing something out on his phone. A second later, Viktor’s phone buzzed. “Jealous is a good look on you,” His text to Viktor read. Viktor rolled his eyes and shoved his phone into his pocket.

“I was just about to go to dinner,” Yuuri said, smiling up at Viktor. “Would you like to come?”

“Of course! Show me all around Japan Yuuri!”

Everyone’s eyes were on them when they walked into the lobby. Viktor still clung to Yuuri’s arm and gave no sign of letting go. A strange feeling of possessiveness took over Yuuri. His idol adored him just as much as he did. Viktor was his. Yuuri glanced up to Viktor who smiled back with a giddy grin. A huge smile emerged onto Yuuri’s face. Viktor was all his. “What do you like to eat Viktor? How about ramen?”

“Sure.”

“I haven’t been to Tokyo much, but I think I know a good place,” Yuuri said, leading Viktor out of the hotel. He led Viktor to a small ramen place that him and Mari visited once. As they sat across the table from each other, Viktor reach out and took Yuuri’s hand. He rubbed the back of it with his thumb, smiling at him.

“Congratulations on your win at the Japanese Nationals Yuuri,” Viktor said. His voice was soothing and melodic. “I enjoyed watching you skate. You’ve really increased the difficulty huh?”

Yuuri nodded, blushing from the praise. “I really wanted to get into the World Championships this year.” He squeezed Viktor’s hand. “Congratulations on winning the Russian nationals.”

The praise didn’t seem to effect Viktor nearly as much. He shrugged, before tugging on Yuuri’s hand and bringing it up to his mouth. He kissed it and raised his eyes, smiling at Yuuri. “I just wanted to see you again. I don’t care about the championships.” The way Viktor dismissed the championships surprised Yuuri. Though he guessed that Viktor already knew he would win again. “Say Yuuri, you graduate from your university in Detroit this year right?”

“Assuming I pass all my classes,” Yuuri said as he ran a hand through his hair. “Yes.”

An unreadable look crossed Viktor’s face, but before he said anything else, Yuuri heard a familiar shriek. “Yuuri!” Phichit, with Chris in tow, rushed over to their table. “Please tell me you saved us seats!”

“Sure,” Yuuri said, as Viktor slipped out of the booth to slide onto the same side as Yuuri. He curled his arm around Yuuri’s waist, where it remained until their food came. “Oh, let me introduce you to Viktor.”

“Nice to meet you,” Viktor said. “I follow you on Instagram. You’re a selfie pro!”

Phichit beamed at the compliment. “I noticed you’re a big fan of Yuuri’s, I’m guessing that’s the real reason you followed me.”

A light hearted smile graced Viktor’s face as he pulled Yuuri a little closer. “The biggest fan.”

 

 

 

 

The short program competition passed by without much excitement. Yuuri ended up in 3rd, right behind Chris and Viktor. He stared up at the scoreboards with an uncertain look. Adding more quads would increase his chance of surpassing Chris, but his program just simply wasn’t good enough to put him in second. As he contemplated his scores, he heard footsteps coming towards him. Expecting Viktor, Yuuri whirled to greet him but instead came face to face with Yuri Plisetsky. The Russian Punk stared at him with an annoyed look. He jabbed a finger in Yuuri’s face. “Listen here,” He said. “You may be pretty good, but forget about doing much better next season. I’ll beat you for sure when I make my Senior debut.”

Yuuri laughed nervously. “Well, I hope you do your best.”

“Tch.” Yuri rolled his eyes, but a tiny grin graced his face for a moment. Then, he grew annoyed again. “Also, listen up. You better not break Viktor’s heart.”

“Excuse me?” Yuuri asked, feeling his face grow hot.

“That old man spent every single second on the plane ride here talking about how wonderful you are,” Yuri said with a scowl. “He has dozens of photos of you saved to his phone and watches every single one of your competitions.” Yuri took a threating step towards Yuuri. “So don’t break his fucking heart.” He jabbed Yuuri hard in the chest before shoving his hands in his pockets and wandering away.

With his own heart pounding in his chest, Yuuri considered everything Yuri had just told him. He took in a deep breath and scanned the stadium, finding Viktor with his coach, who seemed to be telling him off. When Viktor caught sight of him, his whole face lit up and he waved. Yuuri waved back and nodded to himself. Viktor was his. He would never hurt him. During the free skate the next day, he would show that to the whole world.

“Yuuri!” Viktor screamed as Yuuri skated onto the ice the next day. “Do your best! I believe in you!” Unlike his normal timid look, Yuuri shot Viktor a confident smile. Viktor felt like his heart stopped in his chest. “Wow!”

The music began to play and Yuuri took off across the ice, whirling into his spins and step sequences. “Here comes Katsuki’s first quad.” Yuuri took off and landed the jump effortlessly, bringing cheers from the crowd. “A quadruple toe loop!” Viktor cheered as loudly as anyone. Yuuri continued with the rest of his routine, moving up to his last quad. “Katsuki has a quad Salchow planned for his last jump. He has been getting better about landing it in competition recently, so we’ll see if he lands it.” Yuuri began the preparation for the jump and Viktor frowned.

“That looks like a-” He began to say and stopped abruptly when Yuuri launched himself into the air. He landed awkwardly, but remained on his feet as the crowd went wild. Viktor felt his heart pounding with excitement and his face flushed a bright red.

“Katsuki changed his quad Salchow to a quad flip! As many of you know this is Viktor Nikiforov’s signature jump! Should we see this as a challenge from the young Japanese skater?”

Nearly on the verge of tears a huge smile spread across Viktor’s face. Yuuri finished his last spin and came to a stop, breathing hard. He looked out across the ice to Viktor, gauging his reaction. “Yuuri!” Viktor cheered and turned to run to the closest rink entrance.

“Vitya where are you going?” Yakov asked, exasperation present in his voice. Viktor ignored him. His eyes were locked on Yuuri, as the other skater shot across the ice towards him.

“Yuuri!” Viktor called again, waving his arms wildly. “That was amazing!”

Yuuri grinned back and leapt into Viktor’s arms, laughing happily along with him. “Was it good?”

“You’ll need to work on your landing and you nearly over-rotated,” Viktor said quietly, hugging Yuuri tight. “But it was beautiful nonetheless!”

Yuuri laughed nervously as Viktor lifted him off the ice and spun him around. “You sound like a coach.”

In that moment, Viktor almost worked up the courage to ask Yuuri what he’d been thinking for weeks when Celestino came up to help Yuuri put on his blade guards and take him to the kiss and cry. Yuuri squeezed Viktor’s hand as they headed away. “Katsuki’s final total score is 300.41! He is currently in first place!”

As expected, Chris narrowly beat Yuuri’s score, though it didn’t matter. The young skater had guaranteed himself a spot on the podium. As Viktor began to get onto the ice, he turned back to look for Yuuri. Catching his eye, Viktor called out, “Please watch me Yuuri! This is my confession to you!” At first Viktor was unsure in Yuuri heard, but as his face reddened and shrieks erupted from the crowd, Viktor smiled. Confident that Yuuri knew the meaning behind his free skate, Viktor headed out onto the ice.

For most of Viktor’s free skate, he was able to hold it together. The words of “Stay Close to Me” meant so much more to him after he met Yuuri. When the song rang out loud and clear, “Stammi vicino non te ne andare ho paura di perderti.” Viktor felt a few tears slipping down his cheeks. He had never wanted anything more than to stay by Yuuri’s side. Based on Yuuri’s free skate, Viktor guessed he felt the same way. Viktor finished his own free skate to screaming applause.

“With that beautiful performance Viktor Nikiforov wins the World Figure Skating Championship for the fifth time in a row!”

As Viktor made his way to the ice again with his gold medal, his eyes were on Yuuri who wore the accompanying bronze medal. “Congratulations Viktor,” Yuuri said, eyes shining.

Instead of replying, Viktor reached out and grabbed Yuuri’s bronze medal. He brought it to his lips and kissed it. Cameras flashed and people shrieked in surprise. Yuuri’s own face turned bright red in response. “Next time it better be gold Yuuri,” Viktor said softly. “Okay?”

“Okay,” Yuuri whispered back. “It’s a promise Viktor.”

“Hey, are you going to kiss my medal too?” Chris teased from Viktor’s opposite side. Viktor shot him a cocky look and looped his arm around Yuuri’s waist, pulling him close. Yuuri leaned his head against Viktor’s shoulder, smiling as the cameras took hundreds of pictures of them.

 

 

 

 

With the end of the World Championships, the skaters all returned to the hotel to rest before leaving the following day. Heart pounding in his chest, Yuuri stared down at his bronze medal as Phichit chattered next to him. “ ‘Secret Romance between Katsuki and Nikiforov: The Bronze Medal Kiss!’ These titles are superb Yuuri. Everyone thinks you two must be deeply in love.” Phichit sighed. “Oh wait until I leak the pictures I took of you two at the ramen restaurant.”

Yuuri laughed. “I’m surprised those aren’t already all over Instagram,” He said, nudging Phichit with his elbow. “You’re going to be alongside us next year right?”

“Of course,” Phichit said. “With Celestino staying on as our coach. We can continue to live in Detroit maybe and get an apartment together!”

Yuuri nodded, but before he could reply he saw Viktor walking alongside his coach and the Russian Yuri. His two companions seemed pissed, but when Viktor saw Yuuri, his eyes lit up. “Yuuri! I need to ask you something!” Rushing over, Viktor nearly bumped into multiple other skaters and reporters.

“What is it?” Yuuri asked.

With a huge grin, Viktor dropped to his knees before Yuuri. Shrieks of delight filled the hotel lobby. “Yuuri, please let me be your coach next season!” Turning bright red, Yuuri glanced around the lobby.

“Wh-What?” He squeaked.

“I don’t want to be apart from you,” Viktor said, eyes shining. “So, since you’re graduating you’ll need a new coach. Let me do that for you!”

Completely shocked, Yuuri could only nod. “Sure. Okay.”

“Yuuri!” Viktor leapt to his feet and swept Yuuri into a hug. As he pulled away, Yuuri saw the lovestruck look in his eyes. “Of course we’ll have to discuss the payment,” Viktor said teasingly.

Courage filled Yuuri as he quickly said, “Close your eyes.” Confused, Viktor did as Yuuri asked. Hands tight around Viktor’s waist, Yuuri leaned forward onto his tip-toes and pressed a kiss to Viktor’s lips. Immediately, Viktor pulled Yuuri closer and kissed him harder. “There’s your payment Viktor.”

Barely a minute later Phichit uploaded a photo of the kiss with the caption, “World Champion boyfriends! #LoveWins”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Note 1/16/17: I never expected this to get so much love! Thank you everyone. I've never used Tumblr much but I know that's how a lot of authors communicate with their readers so I made one. You can find me at https://mewgirl1995.tumblr.com.


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